Biobased biodegradable plastics have gained increasing attention as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials in food packaging, offering biodegradability, renewability, and reduced environmental impact. This review adopts a narrative review approach, integrating studies published between 2015 and 2025 from major databases to critically evaluate the recent advances, feasibility, and limitations of biobased biodegradable plastics in food packaging. Literature was thematically analyzed by material type and functional enhancement to assess their feasibility and limitations for sustainable packaging applications. Recent advances have focused on enhancing their mechanical, barrier, and functional properties through polymer blending, nanoparticle reinforcement, and incorporation of natural bioactive agents. Starch-based bioplastics, derived from renewable sources such as corn and cassava, have been improved by blending with polylactic acid (PLA) or polybutylene succinate (PBS) and reinforcing with nanocellulose or silica to enhance flexibility, strength, and thermal stability. Incorporating plant extracts and polyphenols has added antioxidant and antimicrobial functions. PLA-based films have benefited from nanoparticle fillers like zinc oxide and lignin nanoparticles, and the integration of bioactive compounds such as tea polyphenols and hop extract has enabled multifunctional, intelligent packaging with controlled release and UV protection. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), produced microbially, have been functionalized with tannins, ferulic acid, and other natural agents to achieve high antioxidant, antibacterial, and UV-blocking performance, while multilayer coatings have improved moisture and gas resistance. PBS composites have been enhanced using nanofillers like silver or magnesium oxide and natural additives such as quercetin and essential oils, thereby improving durability and bioactivity. Emerging materials, including chitosan-, protein-, and polysaccharide-based films, show excellent film-forming ability and compatibility with natural antimicrobials; smart systems with pH-sensing and UV-shielding functions further extend food shelf life. Despite remaining challenges such as cost, moisture sensitivity, limited scalability, and potential competition with food resources, recent progress demonstrates that biobased biodegradable plastics hold strong potential to advance sustainable, high-performance food packaging, particularly when waste is valorized. Future research should focus on improving the cost-effectiveness, scalability, and moisture resistance of biobased biodegradable plastics, while advancing waste-derived feedstocks, multifunctional smart packaging, and comprehensive life cycle assessments to ensure sustainable and practical food packaging solutions.

To meet the needs of the treatment of Cu2+ pollution in aqueous solution, the sodium alginate-modified polyacrylic acid (PAA/SA) composite hydrogel was prepared by solution polymerization with acrylic acid (AA) as monomer, sodium alginate (SA) as filler, N, N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinking agent, and potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) as initiator. The characterization results showed that the introduction of SA significantly improved the physical and chemical properties of PAA hydrogel materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that as the SA content increased, the materials gradually evolved from a dense blocky structure to a porous network. When the SA content was 10 wt%, it exhibited a fragmented layered morphology. The Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) showed that the specific surface area reached 37.65 m2/g and the porosity increased to 12.47%. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed that SA was successfully embedded into the PAA network through hydrogen bonding and ion crosslinking, and the carboxyl vibration peak shifted from 2378 to 2352 cm−1. Mechanical tests showed that at 10 wt% SA, the maximum stress was 13.1 kPa. The adsorption experiment showed that the equilibrium adsorption capacity of the PAA/SA hydrogel for Cu2+ was 11.03 mg/g, with an adsorption efficiency of 42.65%. Dynamics studies showed that the adsorption process follows a first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.986–0.997), indicating a physical adsorption mechanism dominated by liquid film diffusion. The optimal process conditions were found to be a dosage of 1.5 g/L, and the effect of temperature on adsorption was limited. The material maintained 67.4% of its initial adsorption capacity after six adsorption-desorption cycles. These parameters are generally superior to those of similar materials reported in the literature, indicating broad application prospects. Such a kinetic and isotherm model resulted from the combined effects of functional groups, electrostatic attraction, and chelation. In practical applications, pH, ionic strength, and competing ions will affect the adsorption performance of PAA/SA composite hydrogels.

Food breakdown during storage and transit greatly adds to worldwide food waste. Biodegradable edible coatings derived from natural sources provide a sustainable method to extend the shelf life and preserve the freshness of fr... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Tech Science Press

Addressing the critical challenges of viscosity loss and barite sag in synthetic-based drilling fluids (SBDFs) under high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP) conditions, this study innovatively developed a hyperbranched amide polymer (SS-1) through a unique stepwise polycondensation strategy. By integrating dynamic ionic crosslinking for temperature-responsive rheology and rigid aromatic moieties ensuring thermal stability beyond 260°C, SS-1 achieves a molecular-level breakthrough. Performance evaluations demonstrate that adding merely 2.0 wt% SS-1 significantly enhances key properties of 210°C-aged SBDFs: plastic viscosity rises to 45 mPa·s, electrical stability (emulsion voltage) reaches 1426 V, and the sag factor declines to 0.509, outperforming conventional sulfonated polyacrylamide (S-PAM, 0.531) by 4.3%. Mechanistic investigations reveal a trifunctional synergistic anti-sag mechanism involving electrostatic adsorption onto barite surfaces, hyperbranched steric hindrance, and colloid-stabilizing network formation. SS-1 exhibits exceptional HTHP stabilization efficacy, substantially surpassing S-PAM, thereby providing an innovative molecular design strategy and scalable solution for next-generation high-performance drilling fluid stabilizers.

Power cables are important pieces of equipment for energy transmission, but achieving a good balance between flame retardancy and mechanical properties of cable sheaths remains a challenge. In this work, a novel intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system containing silicone-containing macromolecular charring agent (Si-MCA) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) was designed to synergistically improve the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer (EBA) composites. The optimal mass ratio of APP/Si-MCA was 3/1 in EBA composites (EBA/APP-Si-31), corresponding to the best flame retardancy with 31.2% of limited oxygen index (LOI), V-0 rating in UL-94 vertical burning test, and 76.4% reduction on the peak of heat release rate (PHRR) in cone calorimeter test. The enhancement mechanism was attributed to the synergistic effect of APP/Si-MCA during combustion, including the radical-trapping effect, the dilution effect of non-flammable gases, and the barrier effect of the intumescent char layer. Meanwhile, the tensile results indicated that EBA/APP-Si-31 also exhibited good mechanical properties with the addition of maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene (PE-g-MA) as the compatibilizer. Thus, the APP/Si-MCA combination is an effective IFRs system for preparing high-performance EBA composites, and it will promote their applications as cable sheath materials.

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells require membranes with a balance of high conductivity and durability. In this work, a novel bi-crown-ether modified piperidine structure was designed and synthesized, which was then introduced into the side chain of poly(arylene piperidinium), making a unique bi-crown-ether modified bi-piperidinium side chain grafted polymer for AEM fabrication. The double crown ether units enhanced cation–water interactions and promoted microphase separation, thereby forming efficient hydroxide ion transport channels. The resulting membrane exhibited high water uptake, well-defined ion clusters, and a hydroxide conductivity of 123 mS cm−1 at 80°C with an ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 1.56 mmol g−1. After alkaline treatment in 1 M NaOH at 80°C for 960 h, the membrane retained ~85% of its initial conductivity, demonstrating excellent chemical stability. In H2/O2 fuel cell tests at 60°C, the membrane achieved a peak power density of 558 mW cm−2 at 1040 mA cm−2. These findings highlight the potential of bi-crown-ether modified piperidinium side chain grafting as an effective strategy to enhance ion conduction properties of AEMs for fuel cell applications.

With the rapid development of flexible wearable electronic products, their application fields and demands are increasing, posing new challenges to flexible conductive materials. This paper selected flexible polydimethylsiloxa... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Tech Science Press

The thermal stability of lithium-ion battery separators is a critical determinant of battery safety and performance, especially in the context of rapidly expanding applications in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Tech Science Press

Conventional bioplastic production from seaweed often relies on extraction processes that are costly, time-consuming, and yield limited product. This study presents a direct fabrication method using Gracilaria sp., a red seaw... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Tech Science Press